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The Supreme Court yesterday handed down a decision on the holding of DNA data (PDF on external site).

John Wadham, Group Director, Legal at the Equality and Human Rights Commission said:

"There are more than a million people on the DNA system who have not been charged with a crime, let alone convicted. This puts innocent people at a disadvantage when they are vetted for jobs or if they were to come into contact with the criminal justice system again.

"There have to be clear and justifiable reasons for holding onto the DNA data from people who have not been convicted of a crime. Our view is that the current guidelines for the police are not in keeping with the law and the Supreme Court has confirmed this."